Empire Market co-founders Raheim Hamilton and Thomas Pavey required all platform transactions to be conducted exclusively in cryptocurrency and encouraged users to employ coin mixers and encrypted communications.

From the articleDark Web Market Founder Gets 40 Years, Agrees to Forfeit 1,230 BitcoinAlso in Darknet kingpin forfeits 1,230 BTC and receives 40-year term over $430M illicit market, Empire Market Co-Creator Sentenced to 40 Years Over $430M Dark Web Bazaar - Decrypt, Empire Market Co-Founder Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison, Dark Web Founder Loses $100 Million in Bitcoin After 40-Year Sentence: Where Does It Go?, Empire Market Co-Founder Gets 40-Year US Prison Term Over Crypto-Fueled Drug Trafficking